everything from the united states constitution to presidents to why certain laws came into play. at very different levels, there are certain questions that are asked. the 8th graders really were the ones who did, i would say, perform the best when we consider the 4th and we consider the 12th grade. >> that's because 8th graders' scores improved over the last time the test was given. 4th graders and 12th graders did not. in fact, a majority of 12th graders turned in a poor performance. their questions were harder, and their correct answers were fewer. 55% of 12th graders scored below the basic level. what does this show? >> mm, lauren, that's not good news at all. [ chuckles ] and what does that mean for our 12th graders? it means that we have to find a way to engage our 12th graders in learning u.s. history. we have to make it more important to them. so, we have a lot of work to do, definitely, at the 12th-grade level. >> there's a famous saying -- "those who don't know history are condemned to repeat it." so, the lessons of the past are worth learning. for "teen kids news," i'm